Investiture Achievement/Skit/Mark/Act One: Jairus' daughter

Newscast 1, Jairus's daughter

Gabby Gefin: And I'm Gabby Gefin. This morning we bring you a bulletin from Capernaum, where Jesus, an itinerant preacher, returned after a short voyage on the Sea of Galilee.

Seeya Tamarah: When Jesus and his 12 followers landed their fishing boat, they were met by the local synagogue leader, a man by the name of Jairus. Judea Today News reporter, Enya Yana filed this report.

Enya Yana: I'm reporting to you today from Capernaum in the region of Galilee. When Jesus arrived here earlier this week he was mobbed by an excited crowd. From what I have been able to gather, Jairus, the local synagogue leader had a very sick daughter. Everyone in the crowd seemed to think that Jesus would be able to heal her, so they were very excited to see him. I spoke with Kelyn Gavra who was one of the people who felt that way. Kelyn, can you describe the scene when Jesus arrived?

Kelyn Gavra: It was pure chaos! People were pressing all around him shouting his name. It's as if they thought he was the Messiah or something! When Jairus was finally able to see him, he said his daughter was dying and needed his help!

Kelyn Gavra: Yes he did! But the crowd was so heavy he had a really hard time making any headway to Jairus' house!

Enya Yana: I understand there was a problem along the way. Can you describe it?

Kelyn Gavra: Well for as long as I've known Eritha, she's had this bleeding problem. She went to all the doctors in Judea, Samaria, and the Decapolis, but none of them could help her. And then here comes this Jesus fellow, and she heard that he can heal people. She was out of money, having spent it all on those fancy doctors, so she sneaked up on him while he was making his way through the crowd. She thought that if she could just touch the hem of his cloak she'd get better. It's not the craziest thing she ever tried, believe me!

Kelyn Gavra: As soon as she managed to grab his cloak, she knew that she had been healed! She tried to slip away so no one would notice her, but this Jesus guy KNEW. He stopped and said "Who touched my clothes?" His followers thought he was nuts! I mean here they are in this huge crowd of people, and everyone and his brother was pressing on him from all directions. And he wants to know who touched his clothes!

Cut to scene with just Enya

Enya Yana: And this is where the story got even more interesting. Because Jesus stopped to heal a woman he had never met, he was too late to get to Jairus' house. News of her death soon made it through the crowd, reaching Jairus and Jesus at the same time. I spoke to Eritha Sykes, the woman who was healed of bleeding to see how she felt about this.

Cut to scene with Enya Yana & Eritha Sykes

Enya Yana: Eritha, how did you feel when you heard that Jairus' daughter had died because you delayed him?

Eritha Sykes: Oh I felt terrible. I was so sorry I had stopped him. Of course I wasn't TRYING to stop him. I didn't think my touching him would even slow him down. But it all seemed to work out pretty well anyhow.

Eritha Sykes: He didn't seem bothered at all. He looked right at Jairus and said the most wonderful thing. "Do not be afraid; only believe."

Cut to footage of Jairus' house

Enya Yana (voiceover): But there was one more twist. Jesus continued to Jairus' house and when they got there, he went in with Jairus and three of his followers. By then the mourners were in full wailing mode.

Cut to scene with Enya Yana & Eritha Sykes

Eritha Sykes: He asked why the mourners were making such a commotion and then he said that the girl wasn't dead - she was just sleeping. Of course everyone knew she WAS dead. Some people started to make fun of him, but I knew better. He healed me, so I knew he could bring this girl back to life too.

Cut to Enya Yana

Enya Yana: And that's exactly what happened. Jesus went into a house where a dead girl lay in state, and he came out again with that same girl alive and smiling. Everyone here believes that Jesus worked a miracle, and some even say that he could be the Messiah. From downtown Capernaum, I'm Enya Yana reporting for Judea Today.

Seeya Tamarah: :e've invited Saadya Simeon here to help us make sense of it all. Saadya, this Jesus brought a dead girl back to life. Doesn't that make him the Messiah?

Saadya Simeon: It means no such thing. First of all, it is impossible for a dead person to return to life. Once you're dead, you're dead! There is no resurrection. There is no coming back.

Saadya: It's simple. That girl wasn't really dead. She had merely passed out. Her over-protective parents were overcome by hysteria, and they just assumed she had died. This is just a case of normal circumstances being blown out of proportion.

Seeya Tamarah: But Jairus has been described as having been completely calm. There was no hysteria there.

Saadya: Oh, well, uh... maybe he was in on the conspiracy to make people think this Jesus is the Messiah. Well, I'm telling you he CAN'T be. People are giving him credit for solving a problem that never existed.

Seeya Tamarah: So you contend that the girl never died, or worse, that this is all some sort of conspiracy?

Saadya: Exactly. Who was there in an official capacity to determine that the girl was dead? No one. There was no Pharisee, no priest, no Levite, and no Sadducee there to make such a determination. And the reason for that is clear: she was not really dead. Resurrection is easy when you're not really dead.

Seeya Tamarah: But Jairus himself is the synagogue ruler in Capernaum. Surely he would know if a person was dead or not. Also, there were dozens of people there who would be able to tell the dead from the living.

Saadya Simeon: Well, I don't know any of them, and I didn't see it myself. And I don't believe anything unless I see it for myself.

Saadya Simeon: Wait! I'm not done talk... (video feed of Saadya is replaced by a logo)

Gabby Gefin: And that's all the news from Judea this morning. Have a nice week!